Body processes

Emotional intelligence – function, task and diseases

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence essentially differs from general intelligence in that it has a markedly strong emotional life. This characteristic includes one’s own emotional life as well as that of other people and can be a decisive factor for personal success.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

While general intelligence relates more to rational and logical factors of thinking , emotional intelligence shows the development and special perception in the area of ​​feelings .

The concept of emotional intelligence was first introduced into psychology by various scientists in 1990 . Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, became popular in 1995 thanks to the psychologist David Goleman. Since the beginning of the scientific debate, numerous studies have been carried out on the subject, which have been able to show that emotional intelligence (EQ) can often be more decisive for personal success in relationships and at work than general intelligence (IQ).

Function & task

Emotions accompany people from birth . Be it sadness , joy , lust, anger , hate or even anger and love – without feelings life can hardly go on. The intelligence of the emotions, however, proves to be a special feature, because those who have a high emotional intelligence can not only perceive their own feelings more concretely and clearly, but also those of other people.Many people without emotional intelligence often feel completely at the mercy of their own feelings. A fact that often leads to the affected person fighting against himself and not being able to accept and accept his feelings, such as jealousy, envy and anger.

The situation is different if the personal perception of one’s own emotional world is very pronounced. Resistance against oneself, which is often transferred to other people, can be accepted and processed even after a long time. In such a process, an emotionally intelligent person learns to deal with and control their feelings in a targeted manner and to show them to others, mostly with positive intentions.

Basically, there are four basic areas of emotional intelligence: the perception, use, understanding and influencing of emotions. Perception relates to one’s own feelings and those of others. This includes posture , voice , gestures and facial expressionsa counterpart. The use of the perceived feelings, however, proves to be important when it comes to solving problems, among other things. Assessing and analyzing as well as possible emotional changes fall under the category of understanding emotions. Finally, it is helpful to know how personal influence can improve one’s own feelings and those of other people.

Those who have a high level of EQ (emotional quotient) can positively influence their professional career and relationships as well as private relationships. When it comes to applications and job interviews, companies are already concentrating on how strong the potential new employee’s emotional intelligence is. Often this is also related to the so-called soft skills, a factor that can be more decisive when it comes to leadership, managerial positions and business relationships than pronounced logical thinking.

It is essential here that the ability to empathize with other people can not only lead to an improved working atmosphere or economic growth of the company. Your own well-being can also be increased sensibly and effectively, and private relationships can be improved. A high EQ proves to be extremely helpful when the partner expresses feelings through their posture, gestures or facial expressions that are sometimes misunderstood at first. As an emotionally intelligent person, on the other hand, a keen sense is developed and an understanding of the partner is usually quickly raised. As a result, misunderstandings and possible points of conflict can be cleared up much more quickly.

Diseases & Ailments

Depending on your personal existence, a high level of emotional intelligence can certainly lead to psychological problems. If the expression is strong, there is a possibility that the negative feelings of others will be adopted. A stressful condition for those affected, which can lead to mood swings and even depression . A lack of understanding about emotional outbursts or suppressed emotions can lead to psychological stress.Furthermore, there is a risk that an emotionally highly intelligent person will manipulate other people in a negative sense in order to achieve a personal goal. This, in turn, can lead to conflicts of various forms.

Other complaints caused by emotional intelligence that is misperceived (either externally or internally) are apathy, a desire for revenge, shyness, inappropriate emotional outbursts, tension pain, developing feelings of guilt, and a tendency toward perfectionism and addictions , such as gambling or drugs .

As a result, a person can not only bring positive aspects into life through emotional intelligence, but sometimes suffer so much from it that therapeutic support may become necessary. Therapy then deals with the targeted perception and personal influencing of the feelings that occur with varying degrees of intensity in order to be able to understand them and communicate them better to the outside world.

Lisa Newlon
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Hello! I am Lisa Newlon, and I am a medical writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and my deep understanding of medical terminology, practices, and procedures has made me a trusted source of information in the medical world.